PayPoint has upgraded access to home news delivery software PaperRound through its terminals, making it easier for stores to manage orders and attract new customers.

New features for PaperRound subscribed PayPoint stores include digital tools that remove the need for retailers to claim for paper vouchers or collect delivery charges from customers, faster and direct reimbursement from publishers using PayPoint’s i-movo system, marketing support from publishers to drive customers to participating stores and full control over rounds, title listings and delivery fees.

The offering of the new features to PayPoint’s 18,000 independent stores follows trials in more than 100 sites in the last year. PayPoint corporate affairs and marketing director Steve O’Neill said the service would ‘simplify and digitise’ home news delivery. “Our goal, through extending the service proven with PaperRound to PayPoint retailers, is to help stores substantially increase the number of customers they deliver to.”

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John Harris, director at PaperRound, said: “PaperRound is constantly looking at ways our platform can help our customers, whether this is by reducing their administrative tasks by automating processes, by offering payment solutions such as direct debits to improve their cash flow, or by working with publishers to help improve retentions and grow customer numbers.”

PaperRound is a paid-for subscription service for stores. The firm scored a major contract win with Daily Mail publisher Associated Newpapers earlier. When the publisher announced new ‘end-to-end’ home newspaper delivery partnerships with stores in August, it was made only available to those using PaperRound systems.

Commenting on the value of the enhanced PayPoint-PaperRound tie-up for news brands, O’Neill added: “We also believe it’s good news for publishers. We understand their ambition to maintain print editions. Our initiative will make getting newspapers delivered at home a more convenient, single-transaction for readers and appeal to those who have not taken up traditional subscription offers.”

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